


Meet The Family

by tabbytabbytabby



Category: 9-1-1 (TV), Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Crossover, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Dinners, First Kiss, Fluff, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Past Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:13:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22201645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby
Summary: On the anniversary of his father's death, Buck's brother Liam shows up at the station, forcing Buck to confront his past and the guilt he has over his father's death. With the help of Eddie, Buck tries to reconnect with the family he left behind.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 20
Kudos: 293





	Meet The Family

**Author's Note:**

> This is something I started months ago and I'm so happy to have it done. It is a slight Teen Wolf crossover in that I'm borrowing the character of Liam. There aren't any direct references to the show so this should be able to be read without any knowledge of the show.

Buck's phone rings for what feels like the hundredth time, causing him to sigh. He silences it, already knowing he's going to have yet another voicemail. He knows what it's about. Which is exactly why he isn't answering. He doesn't feel like dealing with it. Especially not while he's at work.

Or at all, really. It's the reason he left his hometown and came to LA. To escape. But his past has a habit of following him, whether he wants it to or not. 

"Who's Liam?" Eddie asks, taking a seat at the table next to him. 

"No one," Buck mutters. 

"So you have this no one in your phone named Liam and he keeps calling you?"

Buck sighs, "You're not going to drop this, are you?"

"I will if you really want me to," Eddie says. "But I'm also here to listen if it's something you want to talk about."

"Thanks man," Buck says, giving Eddie a small smile. "I will, but I don't feel like getting into it here." 

Eddie nods in understanding, "Of course."

But Buck knows that won't be the end of it. 

"Evan Eugene Buckley!"

Buck's eyes widen at the sound of the familiar voice down below. All eyes turn to him in confusion. 

"Scorned ex?" Hen asks at the same time Chimney questions, "Eugene?"

Buck ignores them and gets to his feet. "Sorry," Buck says to Bobby. "I'll handle it."

"Handle what exactly?" Bobby asks.

"Not important,"Buck says, giving him a tight smile. 

He hurries down the stairs to find Liam standing there. He's glaring at Buck. "Oh so you are still alive. We were starting to wonder."

"Liam," Buck sighs. "What are you doing here?"

"You know exactly why I'm here," Liam seethes. "You've been avoiding my calls."

"Because I don't want to talk about this," Buck hisses. He glances upstairs to see the team there, watching them, prepared to intervene if the need arises. It won't. "Can we talk about this later? I'm at work."

"Which means you can't run from me and continue to avoid my calls," Liam says. 

Buck sighs, "You are just as annoying as I remember."

If he's expecting Liam to smile, he doesn't. His gaze hardens. "So you do remember that you have a brother? A family? You know, one that you abandoned?"

"I did not abandon you," Buck says, his anger starting to rise. "I left to start a new life. There is nothing wrong with that."

"There is if you completely ditch your family," Liam says. "At least Maddie calls. She's the only reason we even knew you were in LA. That you were a firefighter. Which…" Liam sighs. "I know it's because of Dad."

"Don't," Buck says, the image of their father flashes through his mind. "Don't Liam."

"Don't what?" Liam asks. "Make you remember the man that raised you? That died saving you?"

Buck closes his eyes. He tries to fight back the memories, but they're there, coming to the surface, reminding him what he lost. What they lost.

"I'm not talking about this," Buck says, starting to turn away. 

"Dad didn't die for you just for you to become a coward," Liam says to his back.

Buck spins around, and strides towards Liam, grabbing him by the front of his shirt. Liam has always known how to get to him. They both know that. That doesn't doesn't stop him from rising to the bait. "I am not a coward."

"Really?" Liam hisses. "You couldn't handle Dad's death so you ran away. Sounds like a coward to me."

"You shut your damn mouth Liam!"

"Or what?"

"I'll make you," Buck snarls. 

Liam's eyes narrow, "You really going to hit me for telling the truth?"

"No, I'm going to hit you for being a little shit who doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut."

"Hey." Buck stills at the sound of Eddie's voice behind him, but he doesn't turn. Not even when he rests a hand on his shoulder. "Buck. Man. Come on."

"You should stay out of this Eddie," Buck says. 

"It's hard to stay out of it when you're doing this in the middle of the station," Eddie points out. He squeezes his shoulder. "Come on."

Buck takes a deep breath and releases Liam. He takes a few steps back, Eddie moving with him but not releasing his hold. He hates to think about what Eddie heard. What they all heard. 

"You okay?" Eddie asks, keeping his voice low. 

"Yeah," Buck nods. He doesn't feel okay. Not even close. Not when the wounds Liam opened are still gaping and exposed for everyone to see. 

"Do you want me to go?"

"No," Buck says. "No. You don't have to."

Liam snorts, "Of course you don't want him to go. Because then you can continue to avoid talking about this. Which is fine. Don't talk to me. But just so you know, I'm not the only one in town, Evan. Mom is too."

Buck sucks in a breath. Liam he can handle, but their mom? He hates how proud Liam looks. 

"Where is she?" Buck asks.

"With Maddie, I imagine. She at least is decent enough to talk to her," Liam says. 

Buck has no doubt he'll be hearing from Maddie soon. She won't be happy. Buck hasn't exactly told her he hasn't been talking to their mom or Liam. He hasn't lied, per say. He's just avoided the subject. Maybe he is the coward Liam accused him of being. 

"I'll call her," Buck says. "But not now."

Liam rolls his eyes, "Yeah cause you're clearly _so_ busy. Whatever Buck. I've said what I needed to. The rest is up to you."

He turns, leaving without another word. Buck watches him, his heart feeling heavier than it has in months. Years maybe. Not since he packed his bags and left everything behind. 

"Buck?"

Eddie's voice brings him back to the present. 

"I need a minute," Buck says. He shrugs out of Eddie's grip and walks towards the locker room, all the way to the back, out of view. 

He sits down, putting his head in his hands. Images keep flashing through his mind. Things he hasn't thought of, too afraid he'd drown in them if he did. So he pushed them down. Seeing Liam has brought it all back. "Fuck."

"Buck?"

Buck doesn't look up at Eddie's voice. He's not surprised he's here. He knew he'd come for him at some point. 

Eddie takes a seat next to him, close enough for their knees to touch. Any other time Buck would be hyper aware of Eddie's presence. Right now he's too distracted. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Eddie asks. 

Buck's first instinct is to say no. He's kept this all to himself for so long. But he also knows if there's anyone he can trust with this, it's Eddie. 

"It's kind of a long story," Buck says. "And not the easiest thing to talk about."

"I'm not going anywhere," Eddie tells him. "Take as long as you need."

Buck nods and takes a deep breath.

"When I was 16, I was left alone looking after Liam. My mom was at a conference a few towns over, Maddie was away at college, and dad was working late. I was upstairs in my room and must have fallen asleep. I woke up to the smell of smoke and panicked. I went down the hall to Liam's room to get him. By the time I realized he wasn't there, I was trapped. Dad found me and helped me get to the stairs. I heard a loud crack from the roof and panicked and ran. I thought he was behind me. It wasn't until I got to the porch that I realized he wasn't. I tried to go back for him, but by then the firefighters had arrived and stopped me. They told me it wasn't safe. I told them my dad was in there and it wasn't safe for them either. A fireman came out shortly after with Dad. He'd gone to get Liam, not knowing he was outside. So Dad kept looking, and he ingested too much smoke. And it's all my fault."

He's crying. His body shaking with the force of his sobs as he tries to get air into his lungs. It's not working. He can't breathe. He can't…

"Buck. Look at me."

He looks up into Eddie's hazel eyes, expecting to see the same revulsion he feels for himself. It isn't there. There's only sympathy in his gaze. Sympathy Buck doesn't deserve. 

"It wasn't your fault," Eddie tells him. 

Buck scoffs, "How do you know? You weren't there."

"I didn't have to be," Eddie says. "I know you. And I know fires. You can't have known what was going to happen. You were a kid…"

"I was sixteen…"

"Still a kid," Eddie argues. "Even if most sixteen year olds want to act like adults. You were a kid, Buck. You trusted your dad to get you all to safety. Himself included. It's not your fault that didn't happen."

"The fire was," Buck says. 

"Did you light it?" Eddie asks.

Buck shakes his head, "No. They say there was a problem with the heater but…"

"Then that wasn't your fault," Eddie assures him. "You went to sleep expecting you and Liam to be safe. You can't have known that wouldn't happen."

"I guess," Buck mutters. 

"Liam said you became a firefighter because of your dad?"

Buck nods, looking down at his hands. "Liam was so angry about them not being able to save him. I was angry at myself. But I saw these firefighters risking their lives to search for him even when it seemed hopeless. Even when he was gone. I couldn't save my dad that day, but I just kept thinking maybe I could save someone else's. It just… it took me a bit to get here. I told my mom I'd go to college and see if anything stuck. It didn't. It wasn't until she started dating David and I saw her moving on that I realized I couldn't be there anymore. I needed out. That town was a graveyard to me. So I left. I came out here and joined the academy and well…"

"You haven't talked to your family since?" Eddie questions. There's no judgment in the question, only curiosity.

"I went back for Liam's high school graduation but that was almost two years ago," Buck says. "I haven't really talked to them since. It's been too hard. I look at him and I see my dad. He has his eyes. He's more like him than I could ever be." 

"I'm sure that's not true," Eddie says. 

"I just want him to be proud of me," Buck says, tears stinging at his eyes again. 

"Buck," Eddie tilts his chin up with his fingers, waiting until he meets his gaze. "You are a hero. You've helped so many people, saved so many lives. You're brave and you're strong. Sure, you're a little hot headed and impulsive sometimes, but you care. You love so deeply. I'm lucky to know you."

"I'm the lucky one," Buck says. 

Eddie smiles and taps his cheek, "We're both lucky."

Buck sighs and looks down at his hands. "I don't know what I'm supposed to tell my mom."

"The truth," Eddie says. "If she loves you, she'll understand."

Buck nods. He knows Eddie's right. So he pulls out his phone and sends a text to his mom asking her if she wants to have dinner tonight. 

Her response is almost immediate, "Of course, dear. And you can invite that cute man you work with, and his son."

Buck blinks down at his phone before looking up at Eddie, "So, how would you and Christopher feel about having dinner with my mom?"

Eddie smiles, "Sure. If you want me there, of course I'll come."

"I think it'll help," Buck says.

"Take some of the attention off you?"

Buck shakes his head, his lips pulling up into half a smile. "Keep me calm. I always feel better when you're around. But yeah, you being there will definitely help distract my mom."

"Then I'll be there," Eddie tells him. "Whatever you need."

* * *

"Stop it."

Buck looks up from where he's been fixing the place mats on the table. "Stop what?"

"Fixing things," Eddie says. He places a bowl with salad down in the middle of the table. "Everything looks fine, Buck."

"Fine?" Buck questions, feeling his panic start to rise again. "I haven't seen my mom in two years. I need more than fine! I need her to see I'm doing good for myself, Eddie."

Eddie steps closer and puts his hands on Buck's shoulders, ducking his head to meet Buck's eyes when Buck tries to look away. "Buck, look at me." When Buck meets his gaze he smiles. "Everything looks great, okay? You're mom isn't going to care about napkin placements. She's just going to be happy to see you. So relax. It's going to be…" 

Buck notices the hesitation, and laughs, knowing what he was going to say. "Fine?"

Eddie gives a quiet laugh of his own. "Yeah."

"It's going to be okay," Christopher says from the couch. 

Eddie grins, "That's right, buddy. It is."

A knock sounds on the door and Buck tenses. "Oh God."

Eddie squeezes his shoulder, "You've got this, Evan. Get the door and I'll check the food."

Buck nods and takes a deep breath. He spares one last glance at Eddie, before moving towards the door. 

When he opens it, the first thing he sees is Liam, looking grumpy and holding a dish covered in aluminum foil. 

"We have pie," Liam tells him. 

"You can put it in the kitchen," Buck barely has the words out before Liam is pushing past him, into the apartment. 

"Someone is still mad," Buck sighs. 

"With good reason," Maddie says. She pats his cheek on her way inside. "Just give him time."

"Is that Eddie's cooking?" Chimney asks, following Maddie into the apartment. 

"It is," Eddie calls back to him. "Buck made the salad."

"By made, you mean bought in a bag?" Maddie asks. 

"Hey!" Buck shouts. "I worked hard on that."

"I'm sure you did, sweetheart."

Buck's breath catches at the sound of her voice. One he hasn't heard in so long but is still so achingly familiar. He turns, taking her in. His mom. Standing just inside the door, looking the same as he can remember. 

"Hi mom," he says, voice soft.

She smiles and opens her arms, "Well? Are you going to get over here and give your mom a hug or not?"

Buck moves quickly, stepping into her arms like he's done so many times before. He sinks into her hold, burying his face against her neck. He feels like a kid again in that moment, safe and protected in his mother's arms. 

Except he's not a kid. He hasn't been for a while. And he left her. 

"I'm sorry," he whispers, feeling tears stinging at his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Mom."

"Oh Evan," she says, carding a hand through his hair in the way she always used to in order to calm him. "It's okay."

"It's not," he argues. He pulls back to look at her, wiping at his eyes. "I just left, and haven't been in touch. I was trying to run from the pain and loss but all I did was cause more."

"You did what you needed to do to heal," she tells him, cupping his cheek. "You had to go out on your own to find yourself. To find your happiness. Have you?"

Buck looks over at where Eddie is standing at the stove, talking to Chimney as he stirs the sauce, then to where Maddie is sitting with Christopher on the couch laughing. This is only a small part of his life. But it's a big one. 

"I have," Buck tells her honestly. "I have a family here."

"One you only got because you left your other one," Liam mutters. 

Their mother sighs, "Liam."

"What? It's the truth."

"You promised you would behave tonight," she says. "I know you're upset, but he's still your brother."

"Maybe you should remind him of that," Liam mutters. 

Buck knows this anger. He's seen it, experienced it for himself. Liam's angry at the world. He knows only a little bit is really directed at him. 

"I know you're angry," Buck says. He steps away from his mom and towards Liam. He doesn't miss Eddie moving closer, probably ready to step in if he needs to. "You have every right to be."

"You're damn right I do," Liam says. 

"I left you," Buck says. "I was still so caught up in my own grief and anger and pain that I wasn't thinking about anything else. I just needed away from there. In trying to find myself, I hurt you. I'm sorry for that, Liam."

"But you're not sorry you left," Liam says. 

Buck's eyes once again find Eddie. Christopher is with him now, leaning against his side. "No, I'm not. I could never be sorry for leaving if he brought me here." He tears his eyes away from Eddie and Christopher to look back at Liam, who's watching him carefully. "But just because I have a life here doesn't mean I don't want you to be part of it."

Liam looks skeptical. Buck can't blame him for that. "Really? It won't trigger too many bad memories?"

"The memories will always be there," Buck says. "But I'm doing my best to work through that guilt. I want to be better, be the brother you deserve."

Liam is silent for a moment, face guarded as he takes Buck in, assessing him. "It won't be easy."

"I know."

"I'm not just going to forgive you and everything be sunshine and rainbows," Liam adds. 

"I know that too."

"But I am willing to try if you are," Liam says. 

"I am."

Liam gives a firm nod. "Okay. Can we eat now?"

Buck looks at Eddie, "That's up to the cook."

"The food's done," Eddie tells him. "I've just been letting it simmer until you were ready."

"Awesome," Buck grins and heads towards the table. "You guys are in for a treat. Eddie is the best cook."

"The best, huh?" Maddie teases, knocking shoulders with Buck. "You wouldn't be saying that because you're a little biased, would you?"

Chimney snorts, "Only a little?"

"Shut up," Buck mutters. "If you don't like Eddie's cooking you don't have to be here."

"I never said I didn't like it. It is delicious," Maddie says, directing her comment towards Eddie before addressing Buck again. "I'm just more impartial than you, that's all."

"Because I'm his best friend," Buck says. He knows what she's hinting at, but he's not going to admit that. At least not here in a room full of people. 

Maddie gives him a sympathetic smile and pats his cheek, "Sure Evan."

"Buck loves Dads food because he loves Dad," Christopher says. 

Buck's eyes widen and he inhales sharply. Which then causes a fit of wheezing. His eyes start watering and he looks around the room in a panic. 

The world must hate him because it's Eddie that comes to check on him. He rests a hand on Buck's back, rubbing it in soothing motions.

"Breathe Buck," Eddie says, voice quiet as he leans in and speaks in his ear. "Just breathe."

"A little hard right now," Buck says.

Eddie smiles and squeezes his neck "If it helps I'm a little biased towards you too."

Buck looks up at him, feeling a bubble of hope forming in his chest. "Yeah?"

Eddie nods, "Definitely."

Buck can't keep the grin off his face. "Good! That's good! Great even."

"It is," Eddie says, eyes crinkling in amusement. "It would be better if we could sit down and enjoy the delicious meal I prepared while it was still warm."

"Of course," Buck says, nodding enthusiastically. "Yeah, let's do that."

Buck goes to move away when Eddie stops him with a hand on his arm, "And Buck?"

Buck's not sure what he's expecting but it's not for Eddie to lean in and kiss right there in front of everyone. Not that Buck minds it one bit. He's been waiting so long for this moment. 

They're both smiling when they pull back, and God Eddie looks even more gorgeous like this. His features soft and eyes half closed. 

"Just so there's no confusion about what I meant," Eddie says. 

"It's all clear here," Buck says. "And you know, same."

Eddie chuckles and kisses him again, "Dork."

"Are we eating or not?" Chimney asks.

"You were waiting?"

"Of course you couldn't wait, Liam" Maddie says.

"I haven't been around these two for long," Liam says. "But it's long enough to know that that shit could have taken a while with how hopeless they both are."

"He has a point," Chimney says. 

"Now now, they figured it out."

"Thanks Mom," Buck says. "At least someone here is nice."

"Yeah, she's the one that put the food back on the stove to keep it warm," Chimney says. 

Buck shoots a betrayed look in his mom's direction but she only smiles. "I didn't want to rush your moment, but didn't want the food to get cold either. Your brother is just impatient."

"I had to see if the food was as good as Buck says," Liam shrugs, wrapping more spaghetti onto his fork. 

"And?" Buck asks.

"If I wasn't in a committed relationship and Buck and Eddie weren't clearly in love I would be down on both knees."

There's a look of shock around the table, before their mother speaks. "Really, Liam?"

"What?" Liam asks, looking confused. "It's not like I'm actually going to propose."

There's a chorus of "oh's" from the group as Liam's meaning becomes clear. Liam frowns. "Wait, what did you think…?" A look of realization appears on his face. He rolls his eyes. "You all have dirty minds. If anyone is going to be thanking Eddie for dinner that way, it's Buck."

"Buck's going to propose to Dad?" Christopher asks.

Buck stares at him, taking in how excited he looks, and tries to work out what to say. 

"No, buddy," Buck says. "At least not today." 

He looks back at Eddie to see his look of surprise before he smiles and takes Buck's hand. "Not if I beat you to it."

"Yeah well, let's get through dinner first," Buck tells him. 

Eddie laughs and pulls him towards the table. Buck takes his place beside Christopher while Eddie retrieves the food from the kitchen. 

"Hey Buck?"

Buck looks down at Christopher, whose gaze is focused on his empty plate. "Yeah buddy?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Loving my dad," Christopher says. He lifts his gaze to meet Buck's, face serious. "You make him happy."

Buck swallows past the lump forming in his throat. He's aware of the eyes on them, but ignores them, focusing on Christopher. "He makes me happy too. And so do you."

Christopher smiles and reaches up to touch his cheek. "Love you, Buck."

"Love you too, buddy."

"You really do have a family here," Liam says. 

He doesn't look angry now, just curious. Buck looks at Eddie, who's taken his seat on Christopher's other side. He looks up from where he's spooning spaghetti onto Christopher's plate and smiles. Buck returns the smile, and looks back at Liam. 

"I do," Buck says. "But not just here."

"Does that mean you're going to be around more often?"

"I am," Buck says. "I've been an idiot. But I'm working on it."

It's what his dad would want. He knows that now. As Buck looks around at these people, his family, he thinks his dad would be happy. They've all been through so much, but they keep carrying on. They let themselves have happiness despite the risk for pain. Sure, they drive each other crazy sometimes, but they love each other. Their differences don't divide them but bring them together. Buck thinks that's amazing. 

A few months later Buck stands in the Beacon Hills cemetery, looking down at his father's grave. It's hard being here, but not as hard as it could be. That's thanks to the man standing next to him. 

Eddie puts his arm around his shoulders and holds him close. "You okay?"

Buck nods, leaning into Eddie's hold. "Yeah I'm good." He places a hand on the gravestone, brushing his fingers against the cool concrete. "I'm good, Dad. I…" He takes a deep breath, gathering his thoughts, trying to figure out how to say the things he's never been able to. "Thank you, for everything."

He talks about his life, about how he became a firefighter because of him. About Liam and his mom. Then finally about his life in LA. About Eddie and Christopher. 

"I think you'd really like them Dad," Buck says, sharing a smile with Eddie. "He's as brave and amazing as you were. I'm pretty fond of him."

"Feeling's mutual," Eddie says. "Your son is amazing, Mr. Buckley. You'd be proud of him. I know I am."

Tears are stinging in Buck's eyes but he makes no move to wipe them away. He lets them fall, as Eddie holds him through it. For the first time in a long time he lets himself grieve. Let's himself feel the loss he's been running from. 

He knows he's not alone in this. He has Eddie here with him. He has his family. That's more than enough for him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos/comments make my day 💜  
> [My tumblr](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/)


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